65 yr old Lady suddenly dies 7 days after a surgery of femur fracture suddenly dies while having lunch in the ward. What would be the most likely cause:
High-Yield Explanation
Ans. (b) Pulmonary embolismRef: Harrison 19th ed. /1631* The first clinical diagnosis for this case presentation is PE since Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which encompasses deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is one of the three major cardiovascular causes of death, along with myocardial infarction and stroke.* Fracture of femur will lead to immobilization for a long period. Hence PE is all the more likely in this setting.* Sudden cardiac death is defined as natural death due to cardiac causes in a person who may or may not have previously recognized heart disease but in whom the time and mode of death are unexpected.